Benjamin w



(No Model.)

B. W. HAYES.

LOW OUT 0R OXFORD SHOE. No. 855,265. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

MF /E5555. //\/\/E/\/TU N. PETERS. Phnloiilhngmpher. Washingiun. D. C,

NITIESD STATES ATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN w. HAYES, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HAYES &TITOOMB, OF SAME PLACE.

LOW-CUT OR OXFORD SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,265, dated December28, 1886.

Application filed October 9, 1886. Serial No. 215,767. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. HAYES, of Haverhill, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oxford or Low- Quarter Shoes, of which the followingisaspecification.

My invention relates to lace-shoes of what is commonly known as theOxford or lowquarter type, and has for its object to so improve theconstruction of such shoes as to enable them to be drawn on or off thefoot of the wearer without unlacing or undoing the fastenings, and atthe same time secure greater comfort to the wearer, as well as toimprove the appearance and fit of the shoe.

To these ends my invention consists in providing the shoe with anelastic lacing and an elastic tongue, both of which are always in place,as I will now proceed to describe, so that others skilled in the art maybe able to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,forming a part of this specification, and the invention beingparticularly pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspeetive view of a shoeconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isal'ront view of aportion of the shoe, showing myinvention as applied thereto, the elastictongue and lacing being represented as distended. Fig. 3is a section onthe line or m, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all of thefigures.

My invention, as has been indicated, is particularly applicable to whatare commonly known as Oxford or low-quarter shoes andhigh-cut slippers,and in carryingit out on articles of this character I provide an elastictongue,a,whieh I stitch at both of its edges to the under side of thelace-flies b, and between the latter and the lining a of the quarters,by a line of stitches, d-such as is usually made in shoes of thischaracterat a point a short distance back from the line on which theeyelets e are inserted in said lace-flies b.

The elastic tongue a is stitched to the shoe in such a way that when inits normal position it will draw and hold the edges of the lace-fliesbtogether, as represented in Fig. 1. I thenlace through the eyelets 6,attached to the lace-flies in the usual manner, an elastic string orlacing, f, drawing it sufficiently tight to insure that there is noslackness therein when the elastic tongue is in its normal position, andpermanentl y fasten the ends of such elastic string or lacing, by sewingor tying them together, or in any other suitable way, preferably atapoint where the knot or fastening will be brought under one of thelace-flies, or out of sight.

The shoe is otherwise constructed in a manner common in the manufactureof Oxford or lowquarter shoes, therebeing no other fastening than thatprovided by the elastic tongue and lacing just described.

. In use my improved shoe may be easily drawn on or off the foot of thewearer without unlacing or loosening the fastenings, both thetongue andlacing yielding to any undue strain, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to permit this to be done, as will be readilyunderstood. A double fastening of the character shown and described hasthe advantage over an elastic goring or lacing of common constructionwhen ,used separately, in that when any strain is put upon the fasteningin putting the shoe on or taking it off the foot, or in any other use ofthe article, it is distributed between the lac-. ingf and tongue a,tending in this way to prolong the life of both, and, furthermore, thereis no liability of tearing out of the eyelets. The tongue a beingsecured at both sides to the lace-fly, there is no liability of itbecoming displaced, and the lacing requiring no untying or loosening,there is no such trouble in the use of the shoe,'as the manipulation ofthese things usually require. It is to benoted, also, that by myinvention the shoe is made to conform more closely to the shape of thefoot, and thus affords greater comfort to the wearer than if the tongueand lacing were not elastic or yielding.

Should it be desired at any time, for any reason or purpose, tosubstitute the old or common style of lacing for the elastic lacingprovided by my invention, this can be done at the mere cost of a pair ofshoe-laces, which can be used in the well-known. way in place of myelastic laces.

I am aware that it is not new to constructa shoe with an opening at theside of the instep, a button-fiap,.an elastic goring under thebutton-flap, and buttons secured to elastic cords or tapes. I am alsoaware that aboot or shoe has heretofore been constructed having a slitor opening in the center of the upper, in combination with an elasticfabric extending across said opening, and that it is not new to providea shoe with elastic fillets or lacings. I donot therefore claim a bootor shoe constructed in accordance with either of these principles, butconfine myself to the construction, combination, and relationship ofparts particularly set forth in the claim hereinafter made. In mystructure the opening is in front directly over the instep, thetenderest portion of the foot, and consequently provides for easiestadjust ment or yielding at the point where such thing is most desirable,and hence secures greater comfort, and also a better fit of the shoe,than in the constructions mentioned, which do not have my combinationand arrangement of parts. My shoe possesses, in addition to theforegoing, all the advantages, both in struct-' ure and appearance, of atongue-and-lace or Oxford shoe.

Having thus described my invention,what I v claim is- A low-quarter orOxford shoe having an open- BENJAIVIIN W. I'IAYES.

\V i t n esses THOMAS B. LOWRY, E. FRANK HO E.

